At just 15, Brooke Christen never imagined her rollerblading adventures through Gardner Village would launch her career in interior design and ultimately lead her to her own gorgeous brand, Nesting with Grace.

“It was funny; she and a friend were rollerblading around The Village and just stopped me and asked for jobs,” Gardner Village co-owner Angie Gerdes recalled with a giant grin.

From left to right: Georgia Kendall, Brooke Christen and Angie Gerdes

“Oh, yeah,” Brooke said with a laugh. “You hired me because you liked my handwriting and had me designing the large signs and price tags in the store.”

Angie must have a knack for spotting talent, because Brooke’s lettering career at The Black Goose Design quickly excelled, first to assistant manager and, before long, to the manager and buyer for the popular interior design company.

Brooke’s impressive 17-year career with The Black Goose Design ended when her husband’s career as a pro soccer trainer and medical director required their family to move out of state, but her passion for design maintained. She’s since been featured in HGTV Magazine and continues to share her knowledge on her blog, Nesting with Grace.

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH BROOKE

If you already follow Brooke on Instagram (@nestingwithgrace), you know she recently paid Gardner Village and Layers Beautiful Bedding a visit, where she answered questions from her Instagram audience. Here's a look behind the scenes at her visit. Never has making a bed looked so fun!

Watching Brooke work was inspiring. She'd try something on for size, step back for a minute to evaluate and either keep the look or move on to the next until she was satisfied. It was a great reminder to have fun playing with options. Even with your own bedding, don't hesitate to mix things around, trying different confiurations and pillow placement from time to time. It can really add new energy to your space.

Brooke's long-time friend Rachel was along for the ride, filming her video/Instagram Story and chiming in with her own excellent ideas.

BEDDING TIPS WITH BROOKE

Brooke asked her audience for questions before visiting and came prepared to answer some of the most commonly asked.

TIP #1: White Works

“I love a basic white quilt,” Brooke stated. “It’s the perfect neutral foundation that works with nearly any bedding!”

Investing in a high-quality white quilt is smart! It will hold up well, it easily evolves with the trends and style, and high-end qulits generously drape to cover the full bed where duvets often fall short (see the difference below).

TIP #2: How to Keep Those Whites White (a la Georgia)

Georgia Kendall, the manager at Layers Bedding, agrees that white is a classic quilt choice, sharing that her go-to cleanser for white bedding is OxiClean White Revive. Noted!

TIP #3: Avoid a Throw No-No

If your throw isn’t big enough to drape over the edges of your bed, it isn’t long enough to stretch.

Instead, pick it up in the middle and drape it over a corner of the bed.

Buy the Bedding

See something here that catches your eye. You best bet is to visit Layers Bedding, where you can touch and feel. *swoon They'll even make up different bed sets until you've landed on your favorite combination. If you simply can't wait, you can also easily buy online.

CHECK THE NEST FOR THE REST

Of course, you can also check out Nesting with Grace for added detail on these topics and so much more! Plus, follow her on Instagram for easy shopping links and more behind-the-scenes looks at her recent Village adventures.